Safety apparatus for use in mines



March 9 1926.

1,575,626 H. W. HAAPANEIN SAFETYAPPARATUS FOR USE IN MINES Filed p 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTORNE YS M rch 9 1926.

H. w. HAAPANEN SAFETY APPARATUS FOR USE IN MINES Filed April 1, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 .wig

INVENTOR b 'IKHQAP/I/VE/g.

'I/IIIIIII/II'III' II ATTORNEYS WITNESSES March 9 1926.

H. W. HAAPANEN SAFETY APPARATUS FDR USE IN MINES Filed April 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 w /v/v@ L INVENTOR WITNESSES A TTOR NE YS ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 9, 1926.

UNITED STATES HENRY WALDEMAR I-IAAPANEN, OF STURGIS, KENTUCKY.

Application filed April 1, 1924.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, I-lnnur W. HAAPANEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Sturgis, in the county oil Union and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Apparatus for Use in Mines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates tus for use in mines.

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this character which is designed to cut oli the supply of air to regions affected by fire or explosion and to confine the fire and the gases of explosion to the immediate area in which the fire originated or the explosion occurred thereby saving both lite and property, the circulation of air through the area unaffected by fire or explosion being continued to enable the mine to be opened up a very short time after the explosion or fire.

A further object is to provide a device of this character and having the foregoing enumerated advantages and capacities and which is adapted for use in coal or metal mines and which is also of simple and durable construction, reliable and automatic in operation, and easy and comparatively ineX- pensive to manufacture and install.

Accordingly, the-invention consists in providing, in a mine having workings and approaches to the workings including main entries and panel entries, a normally open door ineach panel entry, and a normally closed door in the main entry between adjacent panel entries, the normally open doors, being so constructed and so organized with the mine structure that each working is cut ofl from the remainder of the mine when the door or doors controlling it are closed whereby to prevent circulation of air through the cut off working and to confine therein fire or the gases of explosion, the'normally closed doors adj aoent the working affected by fire or explosion being open to permit of ventilation of the areas oi the mine not affected by fire or explosion. the normally open doors being automatically closed in the event of fire or explosion. Otherimportant features of the invention reside in certain novel characteristics of the door and in certain novel characteristics of the controls for the door and in the organization of the doors and controls.

Other objects and advantagesof the invention reside in certain novel features of the to a safety appara- SAFETY APPARATUS FOR USE IN MINES.

Serial No. 703,497.

construction, combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. forming part of thisspecification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view, showing a section of a coal mine having the present invention installed therein;

Figure 2 is a plan view otone of the doors employed together with the controls therefor;

Figure 3 is a view in :front elevation of the door shown inFigurefZ; v 1

Figure 4- is a view in vertical section on line 4L4L 0'! Figure 3, and showing the door closed;

- lligure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the door open; 7

Figure 5 is an enlarged view .in elevation, showing the manner of supporting the outer end of the door;

Figure 6 is a diagrannnatic view of the controls for the door;

Figure 7 is a detail 'view in elevation of the control shaft and pressure plates; 7 t

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic view in vertical section, showing a metal mine having the present invention installed therein; and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary and enlarged view in side elevation, showing one of the doors of Figure 8 and the controls therefor.

Referring to the drawings and more particularly to Figures 1 to 'i', inclusive wherein the invention is shown embodied in a coal mine and more particularly to Figure 1, the numeral 10 designates main approaches or entries and the numeral 11 branching approaches or panel entries to the workings of the mine, that is to the rooms in which the working of the mine is being actively carried out. Permanent stopping 12, brattice13 and normally closed doors lt are provided'and aid in causing the ventilating air currents to follow the course indicated by the arrows in Figure 1. The normally open doors installed in accordance'wijth the present invention are designated generally at 15 and are preferably arranged in each branching'approach or panel entry 11. The normally closed doors 14 are arranged between adjacent panel entries and under normal operating conditions these closed doors cause the air to flow from the main entry in through one panel entry and the working and then out through the other panel entry If any working is cut otl' by the closure of the normally open doors 15 in the panel entries leading thereto. then the normally closed door 14. located between such panel entries opened and the air passes through the then open door l l to the next panel entry unaffected by fire or explosion. By isolating the affected area and providing for uninterrupted ventilation through the unaffected area a saving in life and property is effected and the mine may be opened up a very short time after the explosion or fire.

The doors 15 comprise a rectangular framing made up of angle bars 16 and plates 17 riveted to the angle bars, the framing being set in a concrete structure provided therefor or being otherwise suitably organized with the walls of the branching approach. Tt is to be understood that the entire door structure may he made up com plete at the place of manufacture and easily put in place in the mine. To the underside of the top of the framing an imperforate metallic door 18 is hinged, as at 1.1), and is adapted to occupy an elevated open position, as shown in Figures 2 and 5, or a closed position as shown in Figure -l-. The door 18 is reinforced by angle strips 20. In its closed position the door inclines slightly from the vertical and rests on inclined supporting bars 21 secured to the vertical side plates 17 of the framing and transverse supporting bars 22 secured to the bottom plate 15 of the framing. The supporting bars 21 and 22 are preferably constructed of angle iron. The side edges of the door fit snugly against the vertical side plates 17 of the framing, the top edge of the door against the top plate 17 and the bottom edge against the bottom plate 17 so that the door 18 completely closes the door opening. At is lower end the door 18 is notched, as at 23, to accommodate the rails R.

All of the doors 15 are normally open and in order to hold the doors elevated and in open position, a rotatable control shaft 25 is provided and is journaled in bearings 26 provided therefor in a frame 27 which is preferably made of piping and braced and formed as shown in the drawings. The bracing preferably includes a transverse strut rod 27 which also serves as an abutment for the door as will presently appear. Adjacent the opposite ends of the shaft 25 pressure plates 28 are fixed thereto as shown in Figure 7. Door engaging lugs 29 are fixed to the plates 28 and are engageable with the free end of the door, as shown in Figure 5 to support the door elevated in open position.

In order to hold the shaft 25 in such position that the lugs 29 engage the door 18 to hold the same open, diametrically opposite arms 30 are fixed to the shaft and extend radially therefrom. Weights 21 are connected to these arms by connecting elements 32 trained over pulleys 5 and secured to the arms 30 and to the weights so that the combined action of the weights 31 is sulfie-i-ent to sustain the door. Preferably the connecting elements 32 consist of suitable lengths of hemp rope and the weights 31 are recessed to provide oil pockets 3a from which the ropes are saturated by capillary attraction. In this manner the connecting elements are maintained in a highly combustible condition so that they will be readily ignited and consumed in the event of fire. will fall at once to closed position. In this manner heat responsive means is provided for closing the doors.

Moreover when an explosion occurs the doors 18 are closed automatically, due to the action of the plates 28, and to the other controls C(JIlSt-ittll'illg the pressure responsive means. In considering the action of the pressure responsive means it must be borne in mind that when an explosion occurs enorn'ious pressures are produced. Press sures of 1.59 lbs. per square inch have been recorded and even pressures of 200 lbs. per square inch occur in some instances. The force of such an explosion as exerted by the column of air pushed before it does not generally prove fatal. However, the gaseous products of the explosion, mainly carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide the latter being commonly known as black damp, snuff out the lives of all who inhale them. These poisonous'gascs account for the great number of fatalities in coal mine explosions. It must be remembered however that since the force of the explosion displaces the air in the region of the explosion in all directions a vacuum or partial vacuum is created. Consequently in'imediately following the explosion the air rushes back to the region of the explosion. After this act-ion has occurred and equilibrium is restored the ventilating currents of air in the mine distribute the poisonous explosion products throughout the mine, to the hazard of all men and animals therein. In view of the enormous pressures generated by the explosion it is obviously impractical to provide a barrier of the door type to withstand the force of an explosion. In the present invention the doors 15 are designed so as to remain open until the force of the explosion has displaced the air in the manner described and has spent itself. It is true that the pressure generated by the force of the explosion acts on the plates 28 and tends to swing these pressure plates 28 in a cloclc wise direction, as viewed in Figures 5 ant 5". This action on the plat-es 28 moves the door 18 up against the strut rod 27 which serves as an abutment to prevent the door being tripped by the explosion proper. However If either rope is consumed the door when the air rushes back immediately folworking is opened circulation through the main entry Wlll be unimpaired.

lVhcn the doors 18 drop to closed position the light wires and trolley wires, designated at; in Figures Qand 3 are short circuited, as a consequence of which the lights go out and there is no power in the locomotives, thereby indicating at distant points that the door has fallen.v It will be understood that the short circu'iting results from "the fact that when the doors 18 drop to a closed position they come in contact with the wires V, the engagement of the doors with the wires crowding the wires out toward the wall. The doors being of steel transmit the electric current to the steel frame through the hinges of the doors and from the frame the current is conducted into the steel rails.

To control the ventilation swinging wooden doors 35 are provided.

Wooden strips 36 are fastened to the bars 16 and facilitate the use of rubberized sealing strips and cloth to make the closure of the door opening absolutely gas tight as may be necessary when the escape of some miners is cut off. These rubberized strips and cloths may be conveniently carried in an emergency box 38 mounted on the door 18, and also containing suitable supplies.

With this arrangement a fire may be confined to the immediate area or working in which it originated and the gases incident to explosion are prevented from spreading.

In Figures 8 and 9 the invention is shown embodied in a metal mine, the shaft of the mine being designated at 10, the approaches at the various levels at 41 and the work ings at 42. A door 15 is installed in each approach 41, these doors 15 being identical with the doors 15 hereinabove described. The control for each door of the metal mine also includes a. control shaft 25, bearings 26, a frame :27 and door engaging lugs 29. The pressure plates 28 are omitted and only one arm 30 need be employed. To each arm 30 a combustible connecting element 43 such as an oil soaked rope or the like is connected and all of the ropes 43 are trained around pulleys 44; and connected to main control wires 4-5 leading up through the shafts 10' and around pulleys 46 above the surface of the ground to suitable anchoring devices 47. 'lheanchoring devices 4:7 may be readily releasable or the wires 15 may be breakable to provide for simultaneous closure of all of the doors l5. Moreover should alire occur at any level the rope 43 at such. level would be consumed and the door 15 automaticallyclosed. All the doors 15 are gravity closed as soon as released by their c0ntrol mechanism.

I claim i 1. A safety apparatus for use with mines having workings and approaches tlrereto comprising a door framing in each approach, a door hingedly mounted on said frame, means for limiting the movement of the door to closed position, a control shaft, :1 frame on which said control shaft is rotatably mounted, door engaging lugs fixedly connected to said shaft, pressure plates fixedly connected to said shaft, oppositely extending arms connected to said shaft, weights and connecting elements between the weights and the arms whereby the shaft is held in such position that the lugs engage the door to hold the same elevated in open position. 7

2. A safety apparatus for use withmines having workings and approaches thereto comprising a door framing in each approach,

-a door hingedly mounted on said frame,

means for limiting the movement of the door to closed position, a control shaft, a frame on which said control shaft is rotatably mounted, door engaging lugs fixedly connected to said shaft, pressure plates fixedly connectedto said shaft, oppositely extending arms connected to said shaft, weights and connecting elements between the weights and the arms whereby the shaft is held in such position that the lugs engage the door to hold the same elevated in open position, said connecting elements being combustible. 1

3. A safety apparatus for use with mines having workin s and approaches thereto comprising a door framing in each approach, a door hingedly mounted on said frame, means for limiting the movement of the door to closed position, a control shaft, a frame on which said control shaft is rotatably mounted, door engaging lugs fixedly connected to said shaft, pressure plates fixedly connected to said shaft, oppositely extending arms connected to said shaft, weights and connecting elements between the weights and the arms whereby the shaft is held in such position that the lugs engage the door to hold the same elevated in open position, said connecting elements comprising ropes, said weights having oil pockets from which the ropes are saturated.

4. A safety apparatus for use with mines having a shaft, workings at different levels and an approach from the shaft to the working of each level, a pivoted fire door in each a1i proach, a control shaft, a frame on which the control shaft is rotatably mounted, door engaging lugs fixedly connected to said control shaft, a main control wire extending down the shaft from the surface and a combustible connecting element between each door and the control wire, the control wire and combustible connecting element serving to noru'ially maintain the doors open.

5. A safety apparatus for use with mines having workings and approaches thereto and comprising a door framing in each approach, a door hingedly mounted on said frame, means for limiting the movement of the door to closed position, a control shaft,

a frame on which said control shaft isrotatably mounted, door engaging lugs fixedly connected to said shaft, pressure plates fixedly connected to said shaft.

6. In a safety apparatus for use in mines having workings and approaches thereto, a normally open door in the approach to the workings, said door being mounted so as to be closed by gravity, means for normally holding said door open including a control shaft having alug engageable with the door, a pressure plate connected to said control. shaft, and an abutment for preventing the door being closed by the direct and iu'unediate action of the explosion.

7 In a safety apparatus for use in mines for workings and approaches thereto, a normally open door in each approach, said door being mounted so as to be closed by gravity, means for normally holding said door open, said means including a control shaft having an element engageable with the door, means co-acting with the shaft for preventing the door from being closed by the direct and immediate action of the explosion, and means for moving the shaft to effect release of the door, said last-mentioned means being adapted to be actuated by the air that rushes back to the region of the explosion immediately following the explosion.

HENRY XVALDEMAR HAAPANEN. 

